Service TrustedInstaller.EXE permanently active taking up to 50% CPU resources

When I started my computer, TrustedInstaller ran about 10% CPU for a minute or two.  Glad it's not traditional spyware, but only part of the Windows operating system.

Another answer to the high-CPU usage problem is to get a computer with a newer CPU.  Not just higher clock speed, but a more-modern CPU means a bunch of new instruction sets (internal in the CPU chip) which are worth the equivalent of GHz of speed-increase.

And that's no hyperbole.  When a new instruction set can do a bunch of things in one clock pulse that an old Pentium took 6 clock pulses to perform, then it's as if your CPU is going 6 times faster.

Far be me to defend Micro$oft for anything, but all elements of the system are engineered to work with other elements, and that means newer operating systems have no respect for older hardware like 1-core Pentiums, or CPUs that don't have any instruction sets newer than SSE3.

There are lots of things that CPUs have to do today.  HTML is significantly more advanced every year.  We need anti-viruses and anti-spywares running in the background.  Given a modern operating system and modern anti-virus, an older CPU is (obviously) spending all its power on the operating system and necessary background programs, and it has nothing left to actually run any apps for the user.

That's what it sounds like is happening with your computer.

A CPU that has only enough power to run an operating system and an antivirus will just give you heartbreak in today's cyberspace.  And there's more bad news -- you're convinced your computer "works fine," it cost you $400, and when you upgrade to a new i5 computer, you might like to get $250 back, which is only fair since there's nothing wrong with it.

Well, sorry.  No one wants a computer that is too weak that it even has trouble finishing booting up.  And if you're not getting past Windows Updates, then you're not going to get too far browsing the web.  That means your computer is only good for "electronic recycling."  No one will want it -- no teenagers, no libraries, not even anyone reading Pennysaver.

This is how the life cycle works: The computer starts having trouble, usually first noticeable when you try to get online.  Over the next year, it starts having more and more trouble.  One day, probably when a bunch of new HTML commands are released, or your anti-virus gets updated, or a MS Update happens, your barely running computer gets completely obsoleted, apparent when it crawls to almost a complete stop, and you're being delayed "minutes" every time you try doing anything.

My advice is to start shopping for a new computer.  At minimum, it should have an Intel i3 processor if you want the computer to "keep up with the times" for at least a few years, and i5 and i7 are better and better if you can afford them.  There are also AMD processors.  Whichever brand CPU you get, get a CPU that can process "4 threads at the same time."  With Intel, that means either a 4-core processor that doesn't do hyperthreading, or a 2-core that does hyperthreading.  Most expensive would be a 4-core that does hyperthreading, then that's a CPU that can process 8 threads at the same time.  No problem with that if you can afford it.  AMD also makes CPUs that can process four threads (or more) at the same time, just like Intel, but an AMD computer will save you about 10%.

There are also new, modern CPUs that can only process 1 or 2 threads at the same time.  Leave those for tablets and tiny laptops.  You're being scammed if you buy a 1- or 2-thread CPU and expect it to be part of a useable laptop or desktop.  Your smoothly performing computer should have an "i" type microprocessor and be able to run at least 4 threads.

Also, Win7 stinks with 4 GB of RAM.  I think 8 GB should be considered minimum.  Are you considering purchasing a computer with Win7 that can only take 4 GB RAM 'maximum?'  Run the other way; for the hills.  And if you edit pictures, audio, and / or video, then the computer will need 16 GB or 32 GB.  Win7 uses RAM like it's going out of style.

I don't know how Win8's RAM requirements are, whether programs running on Win8 will use RAM even more heavily than Win7, or -- gosh forbid -- if maybe it uses RAM more conservatively.

For reference sake, I should mention that my CPU is an E5800 (if you want to look it up (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_Intel\_Pentium\_microprocessors).  It only has 2 cores (and only runs 2 threads), and only has instruction sets up to SSSE3.  And like I say, it handled TrustworthyInstaller without any problem.  But I would never buy this computer today: its latest instruction set is SSSE3 so it's missing a half dozen newer instruction sets, and the computer won't hold any more than 4 GB of ram (live and learn) which approaches 75% usage, so the computer is always forced to use a lot of Swap file also, which will really slow down the computing, making my computer get unstable, etc.  Before too long, this computer will not be able to perform without completely slogging down.  The same hardware is available today -- new, cheap -- but don't buy it.

Woops, I almost forgot.  The Linux operating system uses computer resources much more efficiently than Windows, and it's free to download and use forever.  After your newly purchased computer is up, running, and happy, then before you throw out the old computer whose CPU only goes up to SSSE3, try reformatting its hard drive and installing Linux on it.  There's also very little malware that attacks Linux, so its security software (anti-virus and anti-spyware) might be considered optional or very light in the resource-usage department, a phenomenon which by itself leaves a lot of CPU clock cycles and RAM available for your desired applications, so much so that the old computer will run and browse smoothly under Linux.  Also, getting experience with Linux will help propel you and your computer farm into the 21st Century.

In summary, we're suspicious of Microsoft because they add things to their operating system that brings our perfectly working computers to a crawl.  But in this case, it's Microsoft modifying and modernizing the operating system for new functionality and capabilities.  (Just what we needed -- touchscreen desktops...)  In this case, the problem is the old hardware without new instruction sets struggling to perform the new functions, e.g., in the new operating system.

But that's the way every new generation of computing has played out -- people hating Microsoft with every new generation, and then buying new computers when they realize they can't "Win."

This is rubbish! my windows vista is showing the same problem, I've just completed a windows update & the system reported "Update for windows Vista (KB2998527) - Successful - 24/09/2014

Does this mean it has reported as installed when it has not finished?

Also windows update reported 1 important update available (Whch I installed) then it found 3 more 'Important updates' straight after - (KB2862966, KB2884256 & KB975560). Should they not already have been showing on the initial check? !!!!

Just windows OS hogging resources inmy opinion to make computers slow down, you then have to buy a new one and low & behold no longer on vista/xp etc but have to use windows 8 which in my opinion was designed for **** who con't remember what application they were using!!

Hi Robear,

in the meantime I have found the process that was responsible for the trustedinstaller activities. It was the xenservice.exe that was installed together with the Citrix XenCenter on my machine. I have killed this process and suddenly the trustedinstaller.exe stopped its activities. So the problem is solved now because the XenCenter can work without this process and I will remove it from the auto

Thanks for your help.

Martin

Hello Martin.

I was just looking up on the internet how to terminate TrustedInstaller.exe and saw your message. I was wondering how you terminated it - When I do it in Command Prompt it says access denied. My computer has been slow to. Thanks,

WGNW

See...

   • How can I tell if my computer is up to date?

     http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/How-can-I-tell-if-my-computer-is-up-to-date

   • HOW TO run a manual check for updates

     http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/How-can-I-tell-if-my-computer-is-up-to-date